This invention relates in general to lenticular imaging and relates more particularly to a diagonal lenticular image system.
Lenticular images include an array of cylindrical lenses (or lenticules) in a lenticular material and a sequence of spatially multiplexed images that are viewed through the lenticular material so that different frames of the multiplexed images are viewed at different angles by the viewer. One image effect produced by the lenticular image is a depth or stereoscopic image where the lenticules are oriented vertically and one eye views one frame of a stereo pair or sequence and the other eye views another frame from the stereo pair. Another image effect is a motion image where different frames in a motion sequence are viewed by both eyes, while changing the angle at which the image is viewed. In this image effect, the lenticules can be oriented in the horizontal direction and the lenticular material is about a horizontal axis. Other image effects that combine stereoscopic and temporal sequences, or form collages of unrelated images that can be viewed from different viewing angles have been provided, however, a lack of correlation of image content depends on a common psychological characteristic in humans, typically called dominant eye, to avoid viewing stress. One explanation for the dominant eye characteristic is that the brain merely ignores conflicting data received from the subdominant eye and concentrates only on the data from the dominant eye The characteristic of dominant eye allows man to view a scene while one eye is blocked by a tree, or to accurately aim through a monocular telescopic sight. These other effects include zoom images (one or more images are zoomed from wide angle to narrow angle views), flip images (images of different scenes which may or may not be related), animation images (images simulate motion of an unanimate object), computer generated images, or combinations of different effects, however an image with a higher degree of image data correlation would be appreciated by more viewers with less reliance on the dominant eye characteristic.
Lenticular images are formed by decomposing each of several images into image elements equaling the number of lenticules in the lenticular lens element. A set of image elements is multiplexed, one image element for each of the several frames, for each lenticule. Thus, if there are ten frames and one hundred lenticules, each of the ten frames are decomposed into one hundred image elements, and a set of ten image elements, one for each frame are associated with each lenticule.
The multiplexed images can be generated as a digital image file and scan-printed either directly onto a lenticular lens element having a recording layer or onto a master print recording layer which is used to contact-print or optical-projection-print onto a print media which is subsequently laminated to a lenticular lens element or which forms a recording layer of the lenticular lens element.
Typically, two to thirty frames can be multiplexed into a single lenticular image.
There exists a need for a lenticular image product which presents a image-correlated stereoscopic representation of a motion sequence of a subject and a method of making such a product. Although diagonally-oriented lenticular lens elements have been known in prior art, none of the following disclose a fulfillment of this viewing need. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,351, issued Nov. 5, 1968, inventor Winnek, discloses a method of projecting optical printing data from a master print onto print media wherein the pitch of the master print element sets differ from the lenticular pitch, but does not discuss the issues of combine image effects. Winneck teaches the method of projecting, from a composite stereograph which comprises a picture and is divided into picture components each subdivided into aspect elements, and which is arranged for a predetermined viewing axis, an image that constitutes a second composite stereograph which comprises an image of the picture and is divided into picture components each subdivided into aspect elements, and which is arranged to have a like viewing axis and comprising: associating with said first stereograph and with a surface to receive said image, respective first and second lenticular screens each comprising a multiplicity of parallel, linear, component resolving lenticular ridges; illuminating the first stereograph: and optically projecting from said first stereograph through its associated screen, then through an intermediate slit crosswise of the viewing axis of said first stereograph and onto said surface through the screen associated therewith, an image of said first stereograph, while preventing appreciable extraneous patterns in said image as viewed through the last-mentioned screen, by disposing said screens so that the ridges of one extend at an angle, selected in the range of 10xe2x80x3 to 60xe2x80x3, to the ridges of the other while maintaining the ridges of each at an angle of not more than 45xc2x0 to the viewing axis of the first stereograph, to establish said image on said surface with a viewing axis substantially aligned with said axis of the first stereograph.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,661, issued Dec. 31, 1991, inventor Bradley, discloses a rear projection screen for color television of the type having an array of vertically oriented, parallel lenticular elements on the front surface, uses two diagonally crossed, parallel lenticular element arrays embedded in the screen to control spreading of light into the front lenticular array, achieving better control and less attenuation of the light than system using surface of bulk diffusion or a single horizontal lenticular array. See also: Japanese Patent number JP9024570, published Jan. 28, 1997, inventors Fumio et al., Japanese Patent number JP9026503, published Jan. 28, 1997, inventors Fumio et al.
According to the present invention, there is provided a solution to the viewing problems of the prior art.
According to a feature of the present invention, there is provided
a method of making a lenticular image product comprising:
providing a plurality of frames oriented for viewing in a pre-selected direction; rotating each of said frames to a pre-selected angle relative to said pre-selected direction;
digitizing each of said frames to create image elements parallel to said pre-selected direction.
Generating a digital lenticular image by multiplexing said image elements of each of said frames;
producing a viewable lenticular image from said digital lenticular image by scanning said multiplexed image elements on a recording element;
associating said viewable lenticular image or a representation thereof with a lenticular lens element having an array of lenticules with parallel lenticule axis, said image elements being parallel with said lenticular axis; and
creating a viewable lenticular image product by rotating said lenticular lens element so that said lenticule axis are at said pre-selected angle and said lenticular image is oriented in said pre-selected direction.
According to another feature of the present invention there is provided a lenticular image product comprising:
a lenticular image representing different perspectives and frames of time in a stereographic representation of a motion sequence of a subject, said lenticular image being oriented for viewing in a pre-selected direction;
a lenticular lens element being associated with said lenticular image and having an array of lenticules with parallel lenticule axis, said lenticule axis being at a pre-selected acute angle of 10xc2x0 to 80xc2x0 to said pre-selected direction, such that rotation of said lenticular image product about a first axis parallel to said pre-selected direction presents a stereographic depth view and rotation of said lenticular product about a second axis perpendicular to said first axis presents a motion sequence view.
The invention has the following advantages.
1. A lenticular image product is provided that presents a lenticular image representing different perspectives frames and different time frames in a image-correlated stereographic representation of a motion sequence of a subject.
2. A simple, efficient method is provided for making the lenticular image product of Par. 1.